By Ifeanyi Onyekachi (9News Owerri)
One thing that has led our country Nigeria to an inglorious low ebb in various aspects of our nationhood is treachery and inability to remain resolute when it matters most.
It is now easy for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than to see a leader whose “yes” is ‘yes’, especially on issues that have underlining economic, social or political interest.
These wavering attitude of some of the members of our political class have continued to undermine critical national policy decisions, as the decision makers are unsteady-pander to the left or to the right to suit personal interest.
It is however gladdening that Nigeria has evolved young, dynamic and focused leaders at various levels , who are propelled by their belief, vision and direction.
I am afraid that when such leaders show up, they are either misunderstood or their action or inaction misinterpreted out of context, either for mischievous reasons or to score cheap political goals.
A typical example is a viral video on the social media, where the newly elected Secretary of APC Speakers Forum , The Speaker, Imo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Barr Kennedy Chidozie Ibeh, led other members to an audience with the APC Presidential Candidate, His Excellency, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in Abuja.
As members of same political family, the Presidential flag bearer had invited the newly elected to intimate them about his campaign strategies and other modalities on how the party will come on top gears in the next presidential election..
The new Secretary of APC Speaker’s Forum, a man who has a track record of loyalty and believe in party supremacy, responded by affirming his strong believe that despite the social media buzz about Labour Party, his State Imo is not only obedient to APC, but will vote for the party rather than Obi”s Labour Party.
It therefore beats imagination that rather than hail the courage of a man who has remained resolute to the ideals of his party and has continued to propagate the truth he knows and believes in, as far as party politics is concerned, political hawks, desperadoes and treacherous individuals, who would have betrayed their parties given same situation, are blowing the matter out of proportional context.
The energy wasted in circulation of that video gives credence to how deep we have slipped into a chase of frivolities in this country. What is actually behind the viral circulation of that video?
Is it unthinkable that Rt. Hon.Barr. Kennedy Ibeh, a serving Speaker of a State Assembly and chieftain of APC will stand before Nigerians and campaign for Peter Obi and his Labour Party?
Another angle which my attention was drawn to is that since Obi is an Igbo man as Mr Speaker, he shouldn’t have mentioned Obi’s name while responding at that event.
This point, to me, is emotional blackmail and most scandalous.
Has politics stopped being a game of interest? When did it become a tribal or clannish game? Even, the Presidential Candidate of Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi, has said at various fora that nobody should vote for him because he is Igbo, but that competence and deliverable ability should drive voting pattern.
Is it not true that just as we have some Igbos supporting Alhaji Atiku Abubarkar of PDP and Bola Ahmed Tinubu of APC, so we have Yorubas, Hausas and Fulanis also supporting Peter Obi of Labour Party?. It is high time we started playing politics as it should be rather than name calling and cheap blackmail.
For Rt. Hon. Kennedy Chidozie Ibeh, to stand tall and speak boldly of his great party shows he a goal getter, determined, a faithful party man and a dependable and trusted ally. No wonder he deploys these sterling qualities to attract dividends of democracy for his Obowo State Constituency.
The truth is that those who want to tap into the situation of the moment to score cheap political goal should retrace their steps, the road is closed. Rt. Hon. Barr Kennedy Chidozie Ibeh is outstanding and should be encouraged and supported.
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9News Nigeria (Owerri)
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